Mobile phones have been using as a personal security device. Although, location awareness function yet has not been widely used; the mobility of mobile phone is used as a mechanism to provide security. ‘Parents frequently consider purchasing a mobile phone for a child when the child’s living environment starts to broaden outside the home.’ (Oksman & Rautiainen, 2003:104). However, Oksman and Rautiainen also point out that, the quantity of mobile communication, such as messages and calls between parents and children is rather small. Parents add the value of contacting their children at any time they want on mobile phone is more than communication itself. (2003:105) From this point of view, mobile phones provide a surveillance function in a certain degree; children are monitored by their parents; simultaneously, children are able to contact their parents if there are something wrong when they away from their parents.
Accompany with location awareness feature, parents may not even need to ‘make a call’ in order to keep accessible to their children. Another application is that by using Bluetooth or other short-range wireless communications technology; mobile phones become ‘digital leash’ that will remind parents when children are away from them for certain amount of distance. Similarly, mobile phone with build-in GPS is used as personal security equipment; current usages are to look after elder person, to monitor children and emergency use. By using GPS or satellite system, mobile phone could be tracked down even there is no mobile station signal; this function is especially useful in the region areas where the mobile phone networks are unreachable. In addition, GPS feature might be helpful to find lost phones back, especially when the mobile phones contain personal information.
Mobile Phones - Security and Privacy: Location Awareness
Oksman, V. & Rautiainen, P. (2003) ‘Extension of the Hand: Children’s and Teenagers’ relationship with the Mobile Phone in Finland’ in Fortunati, L., Katz, J., & Riccini, R. (Eds.), Mediating the Human Body: Technology, Communication, and Fashion (pp.103-111). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates ISBN 0805844805
Wei-Ming Chiu 11:11, 29 Oct 2004 (EST)
